NUDIUSTERTIAN

 

NUDIUSTERTIAN (n.)

Nice try, but nudiustertian is not a clothing-optional alien from outerspace, nor is it a secular soul who devotes his or her entire life to studying nothing but the naked truth.

The fact of the matter is that nudiustertian means "the day before yesterday".

Note: This is a terrific word to baffle bored guests at a formal dinner party, or to break the ice at one of those nauseating name-dropping networking events.

HAGIOLOGY

 

HAGIOLOGY (n.)

What do you mean it has something to do with the study of blithering biddies, cackling crones or horrible hags like one's mother-in-law or boss who wears steel-toed stilettos?

Hint: Hagiology has more in common with with myths and magic than superannuated sylphs or testy troglodytes. To be more specific, it is literature that narrates the lives and legends of saints and venerated holy people or, ephemeral events of a supernatural nature.

Note: Superman is not considered a deity, even if he is able to jump buildings with a single bound and to run faster than a speeding bullet.

Wise words by Dr Seuss...

LIRIPOOP

 

LIRIPOOP (n.)
Now one might think that liripoop refers to the the plight of a wilderness hiker, rock climber, or sea kayaker trying to figure out how to flush or dispose of their fecal matter in the middle of a fragile eco-system or pristine place, but that might be far from the truth.
Liripoop refers to the tassle found on a graduate's hood, (academic attire rarely worn today). The liripoop hung down the back when the hood was off, and wound around the head like a turban when the hood was on.
Note: It is said that the liripoop was intimidating to others and most uncomfortable for the wearer, (which is probably why another ridiculous piece of headgear was invented called the mortarboard with a vestigial remnant; you guessed it, a floppy tail).

QUONDAM

             

QUONDAM (adj.)

While it might be clever of you to suggest that quondam describes anyone who tells you nothing is impossible -- and you respond by asking him or her to dribble a football. On second thought, perhaps it's just a politically-correct description for a potent piece of pop-out paraphernalia. Who knows, the latter answer may get you the booby prize!

Actually, quondam is a rather eloquent term meaning, belonging to some prior time. Synonyms: erstwhile, one-time, sometime, former, old.

Monday

So it is Monday.  I can almost hear all the moans and groans.  Many people I know hate Monday's, as getting up and going to work is a chore.  This shouldn't be, if it is then you have chosen the wrong profession or you are unhappy at work, or the situation you are in wants to keep you in bed.  

Let's change all that this morning.  Let's rise and shine and thank our majestic maker for this gorgeous day and for our bodies that can still get up and go.  I will leave you with 2 Monday morning tips, look out for these every Monday as I said, we need to change the way we feel about a Monday.....



Tip no 1:
Studies show that when you have a good start to your work day, you’ll typically have a good day. Here’s our easiest and best tip for kicking your work day off with happiness: The Level 5 Good Morning.

We call it that because there are several approaches to saying good morning at work:
Level 0: You ignore people completely
Level 1: A somewhat unintelligible grunt
Level 2: Saying good morning without looking at people
Level 3: Make eye contact as you say good morning
Level 4: Also say something more than just good morning, e.g. “How are you?” or something more personal.
Level 5: Also touch the other person – e.g. a handshake or a pat on the shoulder. You can even hug, but only if you want to :-)

At what level are the typical good mornings in your workplace? And what would happen if you took it to level 5?

Please do not underestimate the effect of something as simple as saying good morning at work.

Tip no 2:

Make a happy email signature

I don’t know about you but I get a LOT of email! Even after the spam filter has done its thing I’m still more or less deluged and of course every single mail must be answered, which means I also send a lot of mails (btw: If you’ve sent me email and I haven’t answered – have patience, I will :o)

Every email says something about the person who’s sent it. It serves in some way to tell people who you are. So your mission this Monday is to make yourself an email signature that somehow expresses who you are and what you do and which will make whoever receives your email a little happier.

Sunday in Cape Town

When I opened my eyes this morning and thought about the day ahead, my first words were Thank you, thank you for my eyes that opened and my brain that is still functioning.  Then my ears, just listening to the sounds of nature coming through my window.  The birds were already up and vying for a position in the bird bath.  Thinking about the greater picture, as I opened up all my windows, the gorgeous Cape Town day hit me full on, after being grateful for all of the above I then too realised I was awake on a gorgeous day and in Africa.  

So, to all of you out there, enjoying waking up wherever you are, enjoy the Sunday, whatever you choose to do.  I for one am looking forward to my day.  Going off to play some bowls, with great company and hopefully a good attitude.  Going to share some fun with fellow bowlers and make sure this Sunday is memorable.

PS, did I mention that there are only 93 days to go?????  

YEUK

YEUK (vb./n.)

Yeuk is not a made-up word.

It is neither a reference to the odd person who gingerly fingers those long green English cucumbers in the produce section of the supermarket, nor is it the act of surreptitiously placing a distasteful, tough, half-masticated morsel of meat beneath a mound of limp spinach or flaccid broccoli that one wishes to leave on one's plate.

On the contrary, yeuk is a 15th century Middle English word used by the Scots meaning "to itch". When not used as a verb, it is may be used to identify a particular sensation, i.e. the irritation of nerve endings in skin or mucous membrane that provokes the desire to scratch oneself silly if alone or look for a speedy exit if one is in mixed company. It's also a popular name for the parasitic disorder "scabies".

For those with a yen for yakking about yeuks, perhaps it's best to consult an authority on itching and scratching.

TITTYNOPE

             

TITTYNOPE (n.)

Now this rather odd, long-lost word might raise a few eyebrows if mentioned in the presence of mixed company, but you might be a little surprised to learn just exactly what it means.

Tittynope refers to a small quantity of anything left over be it a measly morsel of gristle remaining on a dinner plate, or the dregs of draft beer left nestled behind in the bottom of a tankard at a tailgate party.

While we're on the subject of weird words that begin with the letter "T", we might as well add a few more little lovelies:

Tittup (vb.)...no it's not a descriptive metaphor for a buxum babe but rather something a well-proportioned wench might do such as prance about in an exaggerated manner more akin to "horsing around"...if you catch my drift.

Of course if the individual is tittupped enough, the poor soul may also be twitterpated (adj.) i.e. confused by affection or infatuation which might suggest that someone in such a state is more likely to leave a tittynope behind, especially if he's intrigued by the delightful dish sitting across from his table

Happy Friday everybody....

This week has just flown by and my 'to-do' list just did not seem to decrease this week.  Today, looking at the calendar I see  there are only 95 days left until we board our Emirates flight to Dubai en-route to Thailand.  However,  there is loads of work for me to do during this countdown, contracts going well and now my studying is taking up any spare second I have.  Housework seems to have to take a back seat right now, as time really does fly when I keep myself busy.  The upside is that I am really enjoying getting back into my studies.  It has been a while but as I find it exciting and very interesting it has really not been that bad.  

So on this really gorgeous day in Cape Town, I wish you a very happy Friday and I leave you with these words from Nelson Mandela:

“It Always Seems Impossible Until it’s All Done.” – Nelson Mandela

GALIMAUFREY

GALIMAUFREY (n.)

Now you might be inclined to think that a galimaufrey is just another term for a "gilly gaupus" (a tall, awkward fellow), a "grunter's gigg" (a hog's snout), or an individual who owns far too many "gingamabobs" (toys or baubles) for his/her own good but that won't win you either first prize or a booby prize for that matter.

You would be closer to the mark if you said it was an 18th century term meaning a large helping of hodgepodge consisting of leftovers, remnants, or simply scraps from the larder.

CRUCIVERBALISM

 "CRUCIVERBALISM"

CRUCIVERBALISM (n.)

One might suppose that cruciverablism refers to the ability to murder the King's English with great ease or perhaps the skillful art of using one's razor-sharp tongue to gore a grumbling grammarian.

These attempts though they may be close to the mark...but experts would say, "they've all missed by a country mile!"

The meaning of "cruciverbalism" is the art of crossword compilation or being a fan of crossword puzzles.

Today's word : Doula

What Is a Doula?

The word ‘doula’ (pronounced ‘doo-la’) is a Greek word meaning ‘woman servant or caregiver’. More recently, it refers to someone who offers emotional and physical support to a woman and her partner before, during and after childbirth. A doula (also known as a birth attendant) believes in ‘mothering the mother’, enabling a woman to have the most satisfying experience that she can, from pregnancy and into motherhood. This type of support allows the whole family to relax and enjoy the experience too.

New words

Today I started following the bail hearing for Oscar Pistorius on Twitter.  While doing so, I came across some very interesting words.  One person in particular tweeted we should look up the words Occam's Razor on Google.  This I duly did, and following is the explanation:


                   

Occam's Razor

one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything

So in a nutshell, The simplest explanation is usually the right

 one. Detectives use it to deduce who's the likeliest suspect in 

a murder case -- you know, the butler did it. Doctors ­use it to

 determine the illness behind a set of symptoms.This line of 

reasoning is called Occam's razor. It's used in a wide variety 

of ways throughout the world as a means to slice through a 

problem or situation and eliminate unnecessary elements.

So after all that I have decided that everyday I want to learn 1 new word or phrase.  There are so many elements to one's day to day life that you skim over and just forget.  Our brain capacity is capable of so much more, yet day by day we plod along doing the same thing over and over again.  Now along with my countdown, which today is 98 days, you are going to get a new word everyday.  

100

In the next 20 minutes the 100 day mark will disappear and 99 will take it's place.  The time is just passing by so quickly and now the countdown is out of the 100's.  The thing that worries me the most though, is the holiday is coming up so quickly, when we get there the time is going to fly by as well and before we know it the holiday is over.  But, I have been told, I must not think of it that way.  I should enjoy the time leading up to the holiday.  Get all the formalities in order so that on day 100 we can climb on that plane and not worry about being unprepared for this wonderful holiday!!!

Interesting...

I have been going through a couple of Facebook pages of my friends who are now ex-pats living all over the world.  And every single one of them have pictures and pictures and more pictures of Cape Town and South Africa.  I sometimes wonder what the reason is for people to be living away from their roots.  I was given the opportunity to pack up and go many years ago, but after careful consideration we decided to stay.   

how can you not love this country, warts and all..... this is where I was born, for a reason, I am sure, and this is where I will die......

(pics taken off facebook pages!!!)

11.02.2011

And so the special day arrived.  The day Victoria was to marry her best friend.  It turned out to be a gorgeous day.  The family were all here and everybody had their job to do.  It was a hive of activity and there was so much excitement all around.  So much planning had gone into this day, and what a day it turned out to be.  

 At last the moment had arrived and one proud daddy walked his daughter down the aisle.  The little church was packed to capacity and the wedding march filled the air.  And at the other end, one proud bridegroom waited for his beautiful bride.

The ceremony was plain but filled with emotion.  The justice of the peace had great wisdom to depart to this loving couple.  And then talking about emotions........ Claire made her appearance in a surprise performance dedicated to her sister.  

So out came all the tissues, and the bride needed them most of all... what a great start....

The day proved to be full of fun and laughter.  Just the way a wedding should be.  Everybody looked their best and the pic's taken by my brother Kevin, captured every moment of happiness.

And so we toast  this beautiful couple as they share their 2nd wedding anniversary today.  The last 2 years have been eventful to say the least but so many new and wonderful adventures are just around the corner.  I cannot put in words how proud I am of Simon.  The great strides you have made since the day I met you have left me the happiest mother-in-law in the world.  The love you have for my daughter is indescribable to people and as parents we cannot ask for more for our child.  

Now as you two continue your journey into the sunset.  I want to wish you the happiness you deserve.  So many exciting changes in such a short period of time, but your love for each other will carry you forward and be successful in everything you attempt.

I leave you now with these words:

The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give. The joy of life is to love.

William Arthur Ward

Happy 93rd birthday..

Today would have been my precious Gran's 93rd birthday.  I miss her every single day.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about her, and remember the days she used to come and sit quietly in my room when I was studying and started panicking that I would not finish all my work.  She would just sit there and be with me...

I remember too that when she was so very sick, she insisted on coming over to look after little Claire, she needed to hold her and put her to sleep... and then too how Victoria used to call her GrannyMa because she got confused with me calling her Granny and my mum calling her Ma... hence GrannyMa emerged.  

Edith Irene Pomeroy, you left a legacy of love and humbleness behind.  You will live forever in our hearts and we cherish every single precious memory.  

I know you are now my angel, you are with me everyday.......

111

111 - The number of sleeps left to me climbing on a plane to Thailand.  I am trying very hard to :

116 days to go.......

Gee whizz, time sure does fly when you keep yourself busy.  Been working hard on all my new projects and contracts.  So much so, that when I looked at the calendar it is only 116 days to go for our Thailand holiday.  The thought spurs me on, to get working even harder.  At one stage last year I was so down just thinking about how I was going to earn some money, and now, after all the planning and hard work, the light at the end of the tunnel is no longer my bank manager with a torch, but an actual glimmer of light guiding me upwards and onward.

Thinking back to just 3 months ago, I was feeling quite ill, had high blood pressure, low self esteem and just generally feeling like I could stay in bed all day and let the world just pass me by.  Quite amazingly one morning I woke up, looked in the mirror and almost died of fright when I saw this fat witch looking back at me.  What a wake-up call.  The first phone call was to my hairdresser, the next one was to my warehouse to order some healthy meals and the next one was a lecture to myself as to how short our lives are and I was wasting time getting myself sorted out.  And so here I am 3 months later,going to gym almost every day, playing the sport that I love, 9kg's lighter, chic new hairstyle and am off all my blood pressure tablets.  What a turnaround and man, do I feel good.  

So keep on watching this space peeps, I am not done yet....... it is quite amazing how my outlook on life has changed just by making those few lifestyle changes.  Oh and did I mention that on the 26th December I put my wine glass down and have not had any alcohol since..... makes for a huge difference....

So today, as I prepare to spend the day networking,  I leave you with the following 2 inspirational quotes :